The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-27
ESTABLISHED $50.
| J. III. EsTILL, Editor and Proprietor.
RUM WINS AT ATLANTA.
PROHIBITION DEFEATED By A
MAJORITY OF 1922.

Surplus-Incidents of the Battle at
the Polls-A History of the Move
ment From it's Inception.
ATLANTA, GA, Nov. 26.-After the most
heated contest on record in the State of
Georgia, Atlanta to-day voted against pro-
hibiton. The fight has been a peculiarly
bitter one. The Piedmont exhibition did
not close until Oct. %, and both sides agreed
that during the progress of the exposition
nothing whatever should be done by either
side, as it would mar the unity of the citi-
zens in their enthusiastic support of the ex-
position
PLUNGED INTO THE FIGHT.
This over both sides plunged into the
fight with wonderful activity. In two days
after the exposition had been closed, the
fight was on the city in all its fury, and ex-
cited more interest and activity than had
ever been shown in any campaign before in
this city For over a month the citizens
have been engaged in the contest. Meet
ings have been held almost every night, and
local speakers and foreign statesmen have
stumped the county from almost every
curbstone in the city, and every crossroads
In the country.
Early in the campaign the Prohibitionists
leased the largest warehouse i'll the city and
filled it up with a seating capacity for 5000
people. Almost nightly that building has
been filed, and such scenes of wild enthusi-
asm are rarely witnessed. Among the
prominent Prohibition speakers who plunged
fearlessly into the fight early in the cam
paign was U. S. Senator A. H. Colquitt
and Hon. Il. W. Grady.
BACKED BY THE PULPIT.
These were assisted by almost every min
lister III the city, who preached prohibition
from their pulpits Sunday after Sunday to
deeply interested congregations Proni-
nen5 among the preachers who led the pro-
hibitiOn fight in Atlanta were Rev. Drs. J.
B. Hawthorne, H. c. Morrison and j. w.
Lee These three ministers entered into the
fight with wonderful zeal, spoke night after
night and in almost every precinct in the
county.
LEADERS OF THE ANTS.
The most prominent leaders of the Ants
were Senators Joseph e. Brown, Capt. E.
z. Howell and Capt. j. b. Goodwin, Both
sides had full campaign funds and managed
their respective causes for all they were
worth. The negro vote was the bone Of
contention and the balance of power. Each
side made most strenuous endeaVorS to osecut @
it in every way possible. The negroes were
considerably divided on the subject, though
a majority Of them voted with the anti
Prohibtionists.
PARTICIPATION OF THE WOMEN.
One of the features Of the contest has been
the active part taken by many women of
the city. Several of the churches organized
committees from among their female mem
bers, who took an active part III the cam
paign, They organized te women of the
colored Churches into societ,e;. and prayed
with them day after day The result was
shown to-day by the appearance of large
numbers of wOmel at the polls with blue
badges. They were served hot coffee and
sandwiches at every polling place, and con-
Quoted prayer meetings and singing cru
sades in the open air.
THE FIRST CONTEST.
Fulton county, in which Atlanta is
located, voted two years ago on the same
question and went for prohibition by a
majority Of 22S out of about 5000 votes
The registration this year exceeded that Of
last year by 1000 votes, and this excess
gave doubtful figures for either side to esti-
mate on during the campaign.
BASIS OF THE ATTACK.
The principal fight made on prohibition
during the campaign was that it did not
prohibit, and that Intoxicating drinks
could be openly purchased in number OF
places throughout the city, which paid
taxes to the United States government for
the sale of whisky. Thousands of gallons
had been sent in each month from cities
around Atlanta from which it was almost
as easy to get jug as it was at bars in the
city. The Antis claim that prohibition
injured the city, which was losing $50, 900
year in whisky licenses, without decreasing
in the slightest the amount Of whisky sold
IN the city.
NOT A FAIR TRIAL.
The Prohibitionists, on the other hand,
claimed that Atlanta has never had pro-
hibition; that while it was so voted two
years ago, the licenses then existing did not
expire-some of then-until almost a year
ago, and that since that time the domestic
wine clause Of the local option bill allowed
the opening of many places in the city by
which the law could be easily evaded.
A $4,000 LICENSE.
This was however remedied by the last
Legislature, which put a license of $4,000
on all wine rooms, which license will go
into effect after January 1st next. The
Prohibitionists claimed that with the wine
rooms out of the city there would be no
places for easy evasion of the law, if the
officers would properly enforce it. The re-
suit to-day shows public opinion on this
subject
HOW THE DAY OPENED.
Ihe weather was clear and warm. When
the polls opened this morning at the several
voting precincts of the city, hundreds of
voters were in line anxious to deposit their
ballots. The best of feeling was displayed, !
but both sides stood ready to put up a stub |
born fight The Prohibitionists seemed |
TO be more on the alert, and in |
consequence captured the polls in a ma
Jority of the wards By 10 O'Clock tonight |
they gave way to the Anti's, and from that
hour until the close the Ants seemed to put |
IN good work. At the several voting pre-
cincts the Prohibitionsts had lunch tables,
presided over by ladies, at which they fed |
their workers and voters.
SINGING BEGUN.
About IL o'clock, at the Fifth and Fourth |
precincts, singing was commenced and con- |
tinued for a couple of hours. At the Fifth |
ward poll the singing was done by white !
people of all ages. while at the Fourth ward |
poll, from balcony, women and children
OF both colors sang religious songs. The |
balcony was decorated with Prohibition |
banners, some of them bearing inscriptions.
A brass band, under the guidance of the |
Antls played number of airs near the
polls, drowning out the singing.
HAWTHORNE CHALLENGED.
About 10 o'clock DR.. Hawthorne's vote
was challenged as he stepped up to vote on
the ground that ha was 81 nC,u-fasidant hay-